Pray for Peace among the People of Nigeria

You shall no more be called Forsaken, and
   your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
   and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you,
   and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman,
   so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
   so shall your God rejoice over you. (Isaiah 62:4-5)

Our hearts ache for our many friends in Nigeria. In the 1980's, our family lived in a small village in Northeastern Nigeria.  But in recent years the village has been completely abandoned due to the violent attacks of Muslim extremists in that area.  We hope most of the people of Gavva were able to find refuge across the border in Cameroon.  We fear many did not make it safely across the border.

Christians living in Nigeria do not take lightly Jesus' command to "Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you." Most of use would find it a difficult commandment to obey.  Here is a story of one courageous Christian who chose to faithfully follow the path of the Prince of Peace.

Sunday Gwona was the pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church some years ago when the City of Jos exploded with violence.  The building where his congregation worshiped was destroyed.

When it was safe to come out of hiding, Pastor Gwona gathered his congregation in a little mud walled community center not far from the burned remains of their church building.  Rather than calling down fire upon those who attacked his congregation, he spoke words of comfort, grace and peace.

He said, "I want to say three things to you this morning.  First, I am grateful that no one in my church killed anyone."  Some Christians took matters into their own hands and responded to the violence with violence.  

But when Pastor Gwona made his rounds to check on the welfare of his congregation, he visited the Muslim families living in that area as well. The Muslim neighbors said, "Pastor, thank you for the way you taught your people.  Your people helped to protect us."

Secondly, Pastor Gwona said, "I am grateful that they did not burn my church."  At first, people didn't understand what he meant.  After all they were meeting in a small, uncomfortable place because their church building had been destroyed.

But he continued, "Inasmuch as no church member died during this crisis, they did not burn our church.  They only burned the building.  We can rebuild the building but we could not bring back to life any of our members who die.  So I am grateful that they did not burn my church."

He continued, "Third, I am grateful that they burned my house as well."  He had been living in the parsonage and the parsonage was burned with everything in it.

Pastor Sunday continued, "If they had burned your house and not my house, how would I have known how to serve you as a pastor?  However, because they burned my house and all my possessions as well, I know what you are experiencing and I will be able to be a better pastor to you.  So I am grateful that they burned my house as well."

These were amazing statements coming from such a young pastor.  And I believe his statements where an example of a kind of Christianity that we don't often see.  

Many who call themselves "Christian" are tempted to practice the kind of Christianity that speaks the words of Jesus without walking the path of Jesus.  Pastor Sunday Gwona talked and walked in a way that clearly reflected the teachings of Jesus.